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The greatest heroes of the greatest stories were often armed with little more than their imagination and their determination….often they even lacked courage and knowledge…and yet somehow, they managed not only to succeed but to save the world in the process of doing so….

It can be tempting to chide ourselves for not being good enough…or powerful enough…or beautiful enough or just plain great enough to play the lead in our own fairy tale…and yet, here we are…cast in that role wondering what on earth the producers were thinking…??

Well, the truth be told, do we really need wings to soar?… or does that superhero cape really have to be magical? We believe that the magical creatures look like elves or unicorns only because we have been taught to believe that they couldn’t possibly look like us…or even if they looked like us, they couldn’t possibly ACT like us—could they? The “real” super heroes do leap tall buildings and yield amazing forces… they don’t make car payments or get stuck in traffic…or gain a few pounds when they dine on chocolate…

But really, who made those “rules” and are you obligated to believe that?? Take back your power, dear wonderful friends—and BE the leading character in your own oh-so-brilliant story! Of course there will be adventure…and possibly danger… there will be some villains and some that you love…you will quest and appear to “fail” at times, but that is what makes the story so intoxicating…so impossible to put down…

Be proud of the character that you create because the face of the mightiest hero could easily be your own! Grab a cape and perhaps even a shopping cart (if that happens to be your chariot du jour)… but most of all, grab your joy with all of your boldness–and dare to BELIEVE! Start “writing” your perfect tale…. You are absolutely EVERYTHING that a true “hero” should be… you are every bit as magical even without the wand…

You don’t have to be “super-human” to play the leading role in this engrossing tale…you just have to dive head over heels into fully and blissfully BEING YOU! So go get started… there is fairy dust to start sharing…! Wink!

If the world would have you define your “reality” by what cannot be done…by what is unlikely to succeed…by what is an “impossibility”, then wear your own personal cloak of “delusional” proudly! Only in believing STEADFASTLY in our own dreams do we move toward their “REAL-ization”.

Yes, many of today’s realities were yesterday’s “impossibilities”, so more power to those who embraced the art of empowering their “delusions”– because thanks to them our world continues to become more and more and more….!

What do all great successful people have in common? … Days, weeks, months, years before their successes became evident, these same people woke up in the morning to the “reality” that these (soon-to-be achieved) goals/ hopes/ bucket lists were still “just” dreams…. Had they passively filed them away as “unrealistic” because they did not already “exist”, they would have remained “just dreams”….

So nurture each and every one of your dreams for they mold and sculpt your today—as well as your tomorrow. Don’t wait until they are “real” until you believe in them. Believe in them NOW… live them with gusto NOW… treat them like one of the most valued aspects of who you are…because you never know which one of these dreams will surprise you and one day catapult you to the day when they are no longer “just dreams” but an obvious, fully manifested, “wow-can-this-really-be-me” type of success.

Do not wait to “live the dream”. It doesn’t get any more potentially real than what we dare to imagine!

Excited to start the day! And is anyone else noticing that although there is still lots of complaining that surrounds us on virtually all topics, there is a growing “new breed” of optimists…more and more people seem to be understanding just how empowering it can be to identify the possible within the impossible. Isn’t it often those aggravating obstacles (and even those “irritating people” and “overwhelming challenges”) that inspire us to more clarity and action? Our diversity as a species and our desire to improve our world is our strength…SO glad to see more people appreciating it! Savor this day, all! It is the only time that we will live it!

Happiness is a lifestyle. It’s not a location nor is it something that we have to “find”. It has no more to do with the car that cuts you off in traffic than it does than it does with landing the dream job…. Because “the secret” to happiness is that it’s not about them or about “it”–it’s about YOU!

Happiness is about the eyes that you wake up with in the morning…or should I say that happiness is the heart that you choose to adorn each morning. Happiness is your spiritual wardrobe–the “little black dress of Life” that fits perfectly at any occasion, that looks great and that can be accessorized with just about anything. Like any wardrobe item, it is up to you to pull it out of the closet on any given day. It is not a school uniform. No one is going to force you to wear it.

Choosing to adorn oneself with happiness means letting go of some of the “cause and effect” behavior that we have learned over the years. If someone behaves one way, you may choose your reaction based on how this reaction will ultimately serve you.

Choosing to embrace the power of happiness means visiting a new “mental gym” and developing new mental muscles. Choosing happiness means toning up the spiritual flab and pursuing an emotional 6-pack with the same enthusiasm that many pursue a physique that will turn heads.

Being happy is a richness that is much deeper than feeling happy. Feeling happy typically means that your emotions are responding to your environment and that this outer stimulus is making your thoughts (and therefore your emotions) feel good.

BEING happy means that you have learned to recognize and to deliberately allow your mind to harvest from your experience the “mental health food ” that infuses you with more consistent optimism, more power and more appreciation of the value of the upside and “downside” of experience.

Yes, happiness is a vast wealth accessible to all and waiting to be cultivated. Happiness offers itself in the feel of a soft pillow or the smell of clean sheets. Happiness offers itself in the job loss that ended up inspiring the new booming business. Happiness offers itself in the words of a child or the wagging tail of a dog. Happiness offers itself in the spontaneous giggles inspired by a new commercial or by the exquisite peace inspired by Debussy.

Living happiness means soaking in a friend’s laughter…taking time to bathe in the scent of a freshly cut lawn or the first fires of autumn or the smell of freshly baked bread as one zooms past a bakery.

Living happiness means understanding the value of focusing wisely. Living happiness means freeing oneself of the “obligation” to react negatively to something in one’s environment. Living happiness means understanding that “reality” is not synonymous with problems…that we are not required to disempower ourselves by searching and destroying the “wrongs” in every picture.

Living happiness means embracing this essence as a viable reality–rocket fuel for human potential. Joy taps into the energy of pure “flow” and unleashes our potential to unfold into all that we are.

Living happiness is genuine… Not to be confused with “putting on a happy face”. When you tone those “happiness muscles”, your inner laser shifts from scouring the horizon for problems to scouring the horizon for evidence of well being. Both elements are present. Both are real. One empowers. One embitters.

Yes, happiness is a lifestyle. Adopt it with gusto! Savor the leafy green thoughts and keep the head aches at bay. Revel in your blossoming spiritual 6-pack and wear the strength of your inner joy with pride.

You are here to think great thoughts and to stride powerfully ahead into the future of your imagining. Be proud of your ability to choose the reality of optimism. Dance. Run. Muse. Invigorate! And by all means, LIVE! In 4-D, 5-D or even 10-D high def Dolby Life! Take the reins and reclaim the happiness lifestyle of your childhood with the powerful desire of your adulthood.

THIS is Life at its most promising. Your moment is now. Seize it. Love it. And let your happiness define you in all of its glory!

Hello dear wonderful friends and hello dear wonderful planet! Today I sit in the marvelous silence of Night and bask in the unbridled power of the 1%. Often we tell ourselves that we must achieve these monumental tasks…we must move mountains…we must amass great fortunes…we must save the world… Life can appear daunting when we look at “all that must yet be done” and/or “all that is wrong or simply missing”….

And yet, the secret is to embrace the power of the 1%…..

Instead of needing to immediately leap from “here” all the way to “there”, what if our daily goal was simply to move further by 1%? Losing 200 pounds may seem impossible when faced with such enormous numbers—but dropping 2 pounds is achievable. Eradicating a $50,000 debt might seem overwhelming but knocking off $500 can be done.

Feeling and acting like a champion all day every day is probably pushing it for most of us particularly when there are computers that crash, phones that lose connection, speed traps when you’re late to work or that dear sweet person in line who managed to pick up the one item without a price tag….yes, even trying to behave like that perfectly enlightened soul can sometimes seem more daunting than scaling Mt. Everest.

So, today, as you go out to face the world, I would encourage you to celebrate the 1%. Be the champion that you aspire to be 1% longer today than you were yesterday. Dieting? Try eating 1% healthier today than you did yesterday. Trying to save money? Save 1% more than you did last week, last month or last year …Trying to get yourself out of those summer doldrums? Find 1% more time to pursue a passion…..go to the beach…call an old friend…or just do something “totally weird and silly”….

Yes, 1% today adds up to 365% in one short year, but who’s counting??…! So, THE PRESSURE IS OFF! Anyone can handle 1%….! Time to laugh at those mountains up ahead! Time to let your dreams and imagination aim high! Anything is achievable if you approach it one step at a time. Anyone who aspires to improve by 1% can be “successful”. The journey is so much more than just a “start” and a “destination”, so experience those miles in between….

THIS is your moment! Make it the moment that you embrace the 1% that is NEW! Let go of all fear and let go of all pressure. This is your time to reach out and to be all that you are and all that you wish to be. THIS is that 1% moment when all risks are worth taking. The knowledge is yours… yes, you’ve “got” this… you’re “good”…. everything is working in your favor….that 1% is surely yours….!

And surprise….that 1% is Life’s wonderful rocket fuel, so get ready to soar….we can already hear your rumble…so roar on and make it your 1% day!

“If one man can cause so much pain, imagine how much love we can create together.” Helle Gannestad (Tweet following the Norway Mass Shooting)

Isn’t it possible that we have more control–and certainly influence–over reality than we may think?

Ok…so we have seen the “worst in Man”…terrifying headlines on a steady basis that would easily convince us that we are predominantly a species of angry, violent, selfish, warped, damaged and dangerous individuals. It’s a mind boggling diet of “if the bogey man doesn’t get you, odds are that either poverty or a deadly disease will…” Phew! No wonder that we sometimes say that something’s missing or that happiness is an elusive secret….

We often define ourselves and our world by what we read and by what we think that we observe, but is that who we REALLY are? Or have we just subtly relinquished our power and bought into a rendition of “reality” that portrays our world as a “broken planet”?

I for one am ready to take my power back. Can I control one other person on this planet? Ha! I think that I disproved that theory decades ago…but I CAN control myself…..but what can one tiny individual among millions of individuals on this whirling planet hope to accomplish? Can I possibly help to inspire change…a new perception where we see not only the pain but the growth, the kindness, and the MIRACLE of our species…?

As Helle said, if a single person can inspire such pain, what if the rest of us began our own “rampages of random kindness”? How much love and joy could we create?

It may sound corny and cliche, but I am willing to bet that we all COULD make a difference. If we were to start out our Friday by making it a point to spend two minutes in the morning and then two minutes in the afternoon spreading “viral joy”, I can only imagine the impact.

What if we were to compliment the guy who was bagging our groceries or just tell a random stranger to have a great day? What if we were to call a colleague into our office just to tell them what a super job they always do? What if we were to tell the dad who is juggling three kids at the soccer field that’s it’s wonderful to see such a great father?

We may not make the headlines, but we can be someone’s heroes. And I would guess that if we can inspire just a few more smiles from a few more people that it won’t be long before those people are inspiring more smiles from even MORE people.

So before we decide that the world is on a downward spiral, before we buy into the belief that one person can’t make a difference, let’s dust off that childhood enthusiasm and sense of invincibility and create such a rampage that perhaps even the media must take notice. Let’s go out and smile at the “strangers”. Let’s deluge our blogs and our FB walls with stories of our heroes. Let’s remember to thank each other for the “little things”…

…Because I wouldn’t be surprised if once we start looking for all of those nice things, we start truly SEEING all of those great things…..sure, there will probably continue to be those “ugly truths” that attract headlines, but the greater truth will be that we are a species of hope and of promise. We are genius waiting to happen and no amount of stumbles in the road will stop us from sharing the joy of the journey!

So please join me in this rampage of random kindness… share with all some of the random kindness that you may see or kindness that you might have shared (no matter how big or how small)…Have you seen or shared some kindness today? Let the living and thriving of this lovely planet begin with you….! Hugs, Tinkerbell

My inner world is a reflection of the outer world….sometimes it is bright and sunny (“Life’s a Beach” weather)…sometimes it’s partly cloudy….sometimes it’s a light drizzle…and sometimes it’s a full fledged tropical storm ( I suppose that this type of inner weather inspired the “Life’s a B-tch” mantra..!)….

The temptation is to try to achieve as many “beach” days as possible (could this be why I have gravitated to Florida…??), but when it rains, I console myself with the knowledge that our glorious planet would be one dry, nasty little dust bomb if it never rained.

Knowing that I definitely don’t want to wake up as a “dry, nasty little dust bomb”, I reluctantly allow my inner world to try to relax into those “indoor weather” days.

That’s a bit of a long intro, so let it suffice to say that I woke up yesterday knowing that in spite of the appearance of sun outdoors, inside my world was definitely a rainy weather day. In spite of the chipper “Tick Tock” song on my alarm, in spite of the lure of my favorite gym classes, and in spite of the yippity yaps of my three “furever” friends, the idea of burying myself more deeply under the covers and letting the world orbit without me seemed like the most palpable option at that moment. Yes, all analogies aside, this was a day when the stress factor seemed almost overwhelming. I wasn’t even in fight or flight mode. I was in the “why don’t you just hide” mode…

And as I lay there, trying to inch my way to better and better thoughts (which can seem truly IMPOSSIBLE when part of my mind insisted on belting out those “helpful little realities”–cough, sputter, wheeze— along the lines of “how on earth could you have gotten yourself into this….what happened…you should have, could have, would have…and we of course TOLD YOU SO….!), something quite magical happened….

This wee tiny little thought just popped into my head…suddenly…and unambitiously…it was like the person who pops into the party where everyone has decided to wear black, but this quiet little person has decided to wear this brilliantly bright red dress (or jacket) and all of sudden, the room’s world is a brighter place.

“Inside your fears is a dream waiting to make itself heard….”

As I poked at this small but mighty thought, I felt that first little ray of sunshine dance into my inner world. A new seed had sprouted and the roots were taking hold. I got out of bed and began my morning with this odd sense of hope and faith in my path–when moments ago, I felt like my road had been blocked by a landslide. As I maneuvered through my chores, my mind began to play with this new guest…this interesting new perspective that proclaimed itself to be a “reality”. Could I embrace this as a “real” belief? Would it pass the taste test? I poked and prodded some more and inched my way gingerly back to the computer.

My fear was that the day would bring more challenges…but if fear was just the wrapping paper for the dream that lay inside, could I coax myself to peel away that wrapping and focus instead on uncovering the gift? I took a breath…a deeeeeeep breath….yes, I could feel that I was already able to find some thoughts that allowed me to definitely begin to feel little tingles of hope…it was still a glimmer, but it was definitely better….

It was not unlike taking myself to the gym, but this time, instead of exercising my body, I was exercising my mind….at first, “lifting” those hopeful thoughts to a point where they felt genuine and natural was a bit hard. I have been immensely helped by the ideas shared by Abraham-Hicks, so I knew to start “general”. I left the “how will I accomplish” and “when will it get here” questions for my “universal trainer” to figure out. I just began gently focusing on the things that WERE going well, the things that I HAVE improved in my world, and what it feels like when it feels really good….!!! How DOES that successful sensation feel? What DO I feel like I really love doing–and therefore do it well? And haven’t so many “successful” individuals had some amazing stories to tell? What would be my story?

Suddenly, I had that little jolt of energy, for no “logical” reason (if you were basing logic on the stresses that I was facing at work). But–guess what? I had SHIFTED my logic…. my logic had suddenly bought into the belief that these reasons for optimism were real…yes…REAL! They FELT real, so I was off and running and ready to energize my day!

Well, here’s where the “cool, weird” part landed… my phone rang…and an official legal document that I feared was in jeopardy (and that supposedly would take up to 3 months to resolve) was approved and ready to go…yes, it had only taken 2 weeks!!! I got two emails from clients saying that their slow payments were being overnighted to me. Presto! My cash flow was instantly better… New clients called…and my world was suddenly an easier place to breathe. The rain had definitely created some new blooms in the process. Ideas were flowing and I was once again seeing signs of the “ener-joy” (energy+ joy….yes, I am a solid believer in creating my own vocabulary!).

I don’t know exactly what my dream to end all dreams is. I find that I have many dreams–and that they change with my own inner ebb and flow. But, I can say this, by lightly gliding through the fear, I did find more focus…a finer tuning…revived hope and vision. I am not a big fan of stress and daunting challenges, but maybe that’s where courage comes in… Perhaps courage is that little voice that bravely proclaims in the midst of those inner demons:

Happy Cinco De Mayo, dear friends! It seems like all of the world here in the US becomes a giant margarita bowl!…. And yet….as I wade through the promise of the impending mariachi music, it strikes me just how POWERFUL the energy of celebration can be….

Gratitude is said to be empowering, but often when we think of gratitude, at least part of our brain is still focused on that big hairy nasty thing that we have “just narrowly” escaped from…. so yes, it’s quite possible that even if I’m expressing “gratitude” for money coming in, a good part of my subtle focus is actually saying, “I am so grateful for money coming in because money doesn’t grow on trees and one can lose one’s source of income so easily and lots of people don’t have enough and that could easily be me and there doesn’t seem like there is enough money to go around and all sorts of things can happen that can make me lose my money…..and….and…and….”

Alright, maybe I am the only one who occasionally catches my mind “pretending” to be positive when the mischievous part of my brain just can’t resist pointing out the 101 Deadly Calamities that could be just around the corner….wink! I may not SAY it, but “the man behind the curtain” is certainly trying to get me to THINK IT!!!…..

And conspiring with that “man behind the curtain” is the naughty little flying monkey in my brain who also is quick to point out that “gratitude” seems to imply that I believe that I am “out of the weeds” on that topic…”but am I really?” says the naughty monkey, “because Life is full of change and nothing lasts forever….” And all of a sudden in the middle of my attempt to express some good empowering gratitude, I am swept away in a sudden mental cyclone…ruby slippers and all….!

Now I am DEFINITELY not saying that gratitude isn’t important–although in my own life I prefer to view it as “appreciation” since my own mind seems to find less “evil story” characters attached to that phrase. Appreciation is VITAL!…providing that one is truly viewing the FULLNESS of the scenario and not the links that are either still missing or potentially just around the next bend.

It occurred to me that since I have such a precocious little mind at times that I would be the perfect “guinea pig” for figuring out how to “outsmart” the system that my mind has spent half of a century hammering into place…. so yes…. I read and I read and I read….and I observed and listened and tried HARD…. the “A” student in me REALLY objected to the news that the harder one “tries” the longer it takes to reach the goal…now how is THAT “fair”?? …more kicking and fussing….more pouting…more reading….and finally more hoping and just plain asking the Universe….

…. And then one day, the Universe seemed to reply….

….it was a day with dozens of brilliant gold and vibrant orange butterflies jetting around the foliage in the back yard….the sky was such a brilliant blue…the breeze was perfect….and my three furry Yodas were celebrating Life in their most spectacular rendition of “squirrel chasing”, toy shaking, and pure unbridled runs of joy…. “learn the Art of Celebration”, the world seemed to say….because in Celebration is PLAY….

When we can celebrate, we amplify appreciation. We “allow” ourselves to laugh and to focus just on the “good”. We allow ourselves to really feel great and to bask in the best that we can be. It’s the closing pitcher on the winning baseball team who points at the sky in victory as the game is won. It’s the athlete in the end zone dancing in delight. It’s the child whooping and whirling when Life feels perfect. It’s the resounding “YES” that we shout at the computer when we get that perfect piece of news—even when there is no one around to hear it!

For in those moments of celebration, we are COMMITTED to believing that we can handle whatever comes our way! We know that there are challenges, but we KNOW that we can be champions! We see others around us as contributors to this wonderful game– sometimes opposing us, but always inspiring us to play our best. When we celebrate, we are not focused on the details of the future. We are truly (no evil story characters on site) APPRECIATING the now.

So today, on this beautiful 5th of May, I would invite you to give yourself the license to CELEBRATE. Give yourself a party in honor of all that you wish for and celebrate those victory feelings as if they are here. Yes, pretend and let loose–because this is PLAY! And in the concept of “play” lives the concept of “allowing” and “freedom” and “empowered risk taking”. “Play” means that the “serious” part of your brain can go “off duty”. You can punch out your mental time clock and proceed onto (YES!!) “HAPPY” HOUR!!

And as the glorious sun shines down on your face as you laugh and raise your glass, know that the laws of the Universe are at your back. They are giving you more wind for your sails because as you cut loose the anchors of “struggle”, “worry”, “doubt”, and the “shouldn’t-I-be-seeing-more-progress-by-now” moments, the waves calm and AWAY YOU GO! So today: CELEBRATE! LAUGH! PLAY….and turn all 24 hours into your own spiritual “happy hour”….because in celebration is focusing at its best and in its purest–and therein lies our power at its most breath taking and SUBLIME! Happy Monday, dear friends!

Today, we are PURE POSITIVE ENERGY!!! Today, we are PURE JOY, PURE LOVE and TOTALLY UNSTOPPABLE!!! Today, we SOAR! Today we THRIVE! Today, each breath resonates from our soul on the wings of angels and radiates outward like a giant gentle wave of PURE MAGNIFICENT EMPOWERMENT! Today, miracles come true! Today, we soar and thrive and dream beyond any boundaries that we have dared to dream before! Today, the world aligns to make our visions the reality! Today, the very pulse of the planet feels our heartbeat! Today we see the GENIUS of our planet, of ourselves and of our entire species! Today we APPRECIATE ~~ we BASK in exhilaration and in awe ~~ for this is the moment that we have been waiting for! Today, there is no greater moment in which to be alive! Today, there is only goodness and greatness and the vibrant potential that is yet to be! Today, we marvel at the unfolding yet savor all that is already here. Today, we are at peace with the process and eager for more! Today, we feel abundance with an energy that we have never felt before! Today we are one with ourselves ~~ one with the planet ~~~ one with each other ~~ and one with the Eternal! Today is the BIRTHING into our fullness! Today we finally SEE!

Today, there is nothing that we can’t be, do or have so let us DANCE full throttle into the moment. Let us celebrate all that is, all that brought us here and all that we know that we CAN create! Let us live this moment wholly and fully! Let us feel each breath ~~ appreciate each sunrise ~~~ know that the BEST is upon us ~~~ SEE the successes ~~~ savor the steps forward and BELIEVE AND BELIEVE AND BELIEVE. For we KNOW that BELIEVING IS SEEING and, yes, we now can see SO FAR!!! This IS working! THIS is a day worth LIVING! CARPE DIEM! Seize the Day with Love and Positive Knowing! THIS is why we are here! THIS is the Secret! THIS is what “purpose” feels like! THIS is Heaven on Earth and there is NO ONE luckier than we are! Our planet evolves and like a heart that is still beating and breath that is still breathing, this evolution is the promise of Eternity. THIS is life at its best! THIS is our moment ~~ our opportunity ~~ our destiny. THIS is the LAUNCHING. This is the moment that we have always been waiting for!! GOOD MORNING, WORLD! Let’s create something truly SPECTACULAR! Together ALL is possible!!!